Gear/Items

Concept: “An eight page bestiary featuring a multi-stage creature based on those from [the first three] TREMORS movies, as well as bits of lore, and a few new bonus weapons.  This was made as part of the second Slasher Jam: Monster Mash for the ttRPGs Mork Borg, CY_Borg, and Death in Space.”

Content: A set of five creatures (really, one creature with several distinct life stages) that are sure to terrify even hardened punks.

Writing: Brief statistics and stage-specific characteristics are complemented with lore tables and an informative breakdown of the creature’s life cycle. Bonus table of weapons that might be used against the terrors.

Art/Design: Two-page spreads of red-tinged wasteland backgrounds with hand-drawn illustrations of terrors at each stage and distinct blocks of content arranged consistently throughout the supplement. 

Usability: Consistent visual grammar for creature details provides a helpful means of recognizing and using desired information, and color combinations for text are high-contrast. However, some text is searchable and selectable, but not all.

Concept: “Want to use Mork Borg modules as a virtual reality simulation in your Cy_Borg game? Or to give your Mork Borg players a taste of Cy? This five-node mystery adventure path introduces the Dying Lands as an MMO game/simulation in Cy and can be approached from either game as a starting point!”

Content: The content centers on an ingenious scenario that blends Cy_Borg and Mork Borg (whether you’re starting in either game!), detailed locations and maps for each, an “emaciated sim-farmer” class that works well for the scenario, a small set of optional rules that the MMORKG facilitates, random encounters, and several pieces of equipment to consider buying.

Writing: A mix of thematic narration, straightforward rules explanations, and direction for PCs to respond to–all of which is presented succinctly and consistently throughout the supplement.

Art/Design: Distinct layouts for each section (major adventure locations, PC class, etc.) that provide individual character about its subject matter, with a bright accent color to help underscore section distinction and scope.

Usability: Despite the variety of page layouts/aesthetics, text is consistently readable and identifiable as different kinds of content (headings, labels, NPC stats, etc.).

Concept: “gutter_PUVNKS is a fresh supplement for CY_BORG. You'll get all you need to explore the city of CY, even if you really don't want to. Locations, encounters, NPCs, adventure, two new classes (BROKE CEO & CY_BORG), and a few odds and ends.”

Content: 48 pages of content: NPCs, cults, a radio station, locations throughout CY, random encounter tables, infestations, “broke CEO” and “cyborg” classes, and (amazingly!) more. 

Writing: Tons of detail on each page to provide GMs and players with numerous possibilities; writing style oozes the essence of Cy_Borg: thematically grimy and vile and also compact rules/mechanics explanations.

Art/Design: Layout and aesthetic choices for each section are as varied and imaginative as the writing, contributing significantly to the fullness of immersion in the game universe and vibe.

Usability: “Consistency” is somewhat relative here–although there are many different layouts, aesthetics, etc., there are similar gestures throughout: highlighted headings/labels, text size to reflect hierarchical relationships between content, etc. so that navigation and identification of desired info is enjoyable rather than frustrating. Contrast is high throughout as well; only one page has a busy enough background to potentially slow reading.

Concept: “Ultra rear secrets cheat codes for your weapons rumored in the dark web.”

Content: Unlockable modifications for firearms–if one can find the cheat sheet for them.

Writing: Brief setup and modification details that allow a GM to work the cheat codes into their game as they desire.

Art/Design: Two white-on-black images, each with a block of text (setup) above three-column presentation of weapon mods, with a neon-colored glitch art illustration of a gun below.

Usability: Text is high contrast with clearly labeled sections of content, but due to JPG format, text is not selectable/searchable.

Concept: “10 more additional Cybertechs for CY_BORG.”

Content: A table of ten cybertech options with a range of functions/features.

Writing: Very brief details and mechanic descriptions that together create vivid ideas for using/implementing each at the table.

Art/Design: Landscape layout using a photocopied aesthetic, with table on the left in yellow text and a black-and-white illustration of a cyborg-esque figure on the right. A black-on-white print-friendly version is also included.

Usability: High-contrast text and table layout make for easy navigation/perusal.

Concept: “Digging through the graft of society, very few things appease the eyes, so feast on these that bring to sight what only resided in the mind. Mörk_NET Illustrated Catalogue follows with this purpose, bringing out high quality artwork with the destructive punk aesthetic known to the scenario while being consistent between each piece, perfect for Virtual Tabletop's weapon icons and inventory management. The pack currently contains nine images, covering the basic Melee Weapons in the system, each of them packaged individually in .png format and transparent background for ease of use.”

Content: A set of images for several melee weapons included in the Cy_Borg rulebook, provided with and without colorful backgrounds.

Writing: N/A

Art/Design: Hand-drawn style is augmented effectively by colorful spray paint-like accents.

Usability: Files are descriptively named and image formats make for easy implementation in VTT or even in-person games.

Concept: “NeuroBlade is a sentient knife that gives you 1 of 8 buffs while wielding it.”

Content: An intelligent weapon for the punk who sees each piece of equipment as a potential collaborator.

Writing: Spartan details to focus on the pragmatic role(s) the neuroblade might serve when used (and how that translates into game mechanics).

Art/Design: Dark-on-light color scheme with a large illustration of a combat knife above two-column arrangement of text content sections. 

Usability: Different font sizes and choices used to reflect different kinds of content. Visually, text is mostly high-contrast, although some smaller text might be difficult to read. File is provided as .png, so text is not embedded (meaning no searching/selecting or using a screen reader).

Concept: “A Cy_Borg zine featuring: D12 Cybertech from Nueuropa [...] D6 Legends of Cy [... and] Street Cred - A New Mechanic.”

Content: Options for gear, NPCs, and a ‘street cred’ reputation tracker that can add extra dimensions to a game.

Writing: Four pages of enticing tables filled with flavorful descriptions and mechanics that reflect strange, horrifying, and completely appropriate events and circumstances.

Art/Design: Four two-page spreads each have a distinct focus and color scheme that extends from one to the next, from a stark red/black/white to a neon purple/blue.

Usability: Language is direct and straightforward in describing and explaining each subject, with each table making use of a consistent visual grammar to help with navigation. However, text is not embedded, so no searching or copying/pasting is possible.

Concept: “You don’t remember seeing this odd structure here last time your crew came this way. An eye-catching tartan pattern covers this strange tent. A short flag-pole peaks from the top displaying a pink hand axe on a plain black field. A burned wood sign above the entrance reads “Pablo’s Boutique”. The space inside the tent feels expansive- way bigger that it seemed like from the outside. The product displays are spartan chic. Various offerings are for sale here unlike what you would find at your normal local supply store.”

Content: A selection of goods themed around Paul Bunyan and lumberjacks that also are entirely suitable for a punk in CY.

Writing: A balance of descriptions of the boutique’s various areas, the items on display in each, and the mechanics that come into play when a given item is used.

Art/Design: Three two-page spreads of single-column black text on a light background that each feature different kinds of items, with the first spread complemented by an illustration of Pablo and a flannel-pattern background beneath a graphic of a wooden sign. 

Usability: High-contrast text is readable and easy to navigate and distinguish, facilitating quick identification and use of desired info.

Concept: “There is a new drug on the streets called Ambrosia.  It will make you see the gods. Are these GODS real? There are dozens if not hundreds of people seeing them. They are looming over CY like falling planets, ready to steal your soul. Group hallucination? A bug in the system? Does it matter?”

Content: A smorgasbord of fever-dream content: drugs that manifest perceptions of gods (who give unique blessings with killer mechanics!); player classes for a ronin, private eye, amateur wrestler, and moonpunk; tables of people to meet on the street or items to find in the trash; NPCs to fight; drugs, food and gear; and even poetry.

Writing: Thematic punches of flavor that spice up concise and clear mechanical effects. An author’s note indicates some text was generated/aided by AI.

Art/Design: Two-page spreads with unique layout schemes that feel in sync with the aesthetic of the official Cy_Borg rulebook. An author’s note indicates some art was generated/aided by AI, and the variety of styles applied to the book’s spreads is impressive.

Usability: While there is a wide range of fonts and colors on each page spread, high contrast makes the vast majority of content easy to identify and navigate. Text is not embedded (except on a small number of pages), so screen reader and searching/copying/pasting functionalities are mostly unavailable.

Concept: “Design a man-made predator on the verge of death, drawing you closer to your last breath. It's survival of the fittest, but evolution has taken a backseat. A build-able, A.I. pet that you can trick out with various weapons and gear. Think of Bladewolf from Metal Gear Rising. Yeah, basically that, but for CY_Borg.“

Content: Order your own cyber-pet and its customizable loadout/upgrades. 

Writing: Set up as an in-universe catalog, rules are provided tightly alongside potent descriptions and upgrade labels.

Art/Design: Two-page spread of content, with black text on white accented with blue elements (e.g., upgrade costs) and light gray illustrations in the background. Two dark-themed front/back cover pages frame the main content. 

Usability: Font choices are easily readable and mostly high-contrast, with visually evident headings and demarcations of content. Text is not searchable/selectable.

Concept: “Three new Smart ‘guns’, a new pistol, a new drone and two new apps.”

Content: Several killer items and apps for the player character that needs just the right tool for the job.

Writing: Crisp descriptions of equipment-specific mechanics and costs.

Art/Design: Weapon page layout resembles a store catalog/ad, while app page layout focuses attention on a central image of cassette components with app details above and below it.

Usability: For the most part, easily readable and navigable, although some equipment details are provided in a very small font.

Concept: “BASILISK DISTRO STATION is broadcasting now… Corrupted data filtered through radio transmitters in precise patterns has the potential to scramble the human mind. Psionic data pushed through this same process has the potential to bring into reality the THOUGHTFORM; a shadowy mess of thoughts manifested as glitched reality.“

Content: A psionically-themed monster and cybertech item.

Writing: Concise, immersive descriptions and succinct mechanics for the ‘thoughtform’ creature and the ‘psionjack’ cybertech.

Art/Design: White-on-black spread with four columns of content accentuated with white character art designs and two dark illustrations.

Usability: Content is arranged to clearly distinguish specific sections and labels. Supplement is provided in pdf, png, and plain text versions.

Concept: “An assassin has been pulling off hits that no one would have dreamed possible. They have been infiltrating secure locations across Central and The Hills. The punks have a job: take out the assassin. Figuring out who they are working for or how they have been able to access VIPs across Cy would be good, too. The punks have a location: a lucky SecOp tagged the assassin and tracked them to a nearby slum. Are they ready for what is waiting for them? Can they possibly be ready to get pulled into The Backrooms?”

Content: A gig to take down an assassin in a disorienting locale. Mission details provided in full-color and black-and-white versions, along with a player handout of the location map.

Writing: Helpful, descriptive explanations provide GMs with the means to run this mission successfully.

Art/Design: Tri-fold pamphlet layout offers mission info across three internal panels (along with an abstract map of the Backrooms), while key NPC and additional app info is provided on outer panels.

Usability: Layout and color scheme allow for easy navigation and recognition of each content element.

Concept: “Smart Jacks, and Jackies, also known as Pretenders and jarods, are a product of experimental military technology that attempted to cross volatile, creative personalities with advanced neural surgery, brain chemistry manipulation and psychological programming....To breed natural Jacks-of-all-trades.”

Content: A class for the state-of-the-art technodabbler.

Writing: Detailed descriptions set up the class conceptually, with concise background-related tables offering a more direct glimpse into what a Smart Jack(ie) might care about.

Art/Design: Single-column text in distinct color-coded sections, with a description of Smart-Tech and Smart-Chips gear in a skewed/angled text layout.

Usability: Text is mostly readable, with high contrast between text/background and with clear headings and labels provided with different font, color, or bold/italics. Angled Smart-Tech section might pose trouble for screen reader programs.

Concept: “DO YOU WISH TO SEE THE UNKNOWN? A dash of conspiratorial thinking for your next CY_BORG game. Contains a table of weird things to find on the NET, two UFO themed enemies, equipment, and a bunch of references to sci-fi and horror.”

Content: A zine featuring governmental and alien menaces, a table of interesting net discoveries, and several items.

Writing: A balanced mix of unsettling horror and tongue-in-cheek humor presented as a mostly in-universe document.

Art/Design: Dark gray on light yellow/tan scheme (reflecting printed homemade zine aesthetic) with one- and two-column layouts of text, accompanied by cartoon and silhouette illustrations of enemies, items, and more.

Usability: High fore/ground contrast and font choices make for easy reading, with larger headings and handwritten marginal notes consistently applied throughout.

Concept: “Thoughts and Prayers is a zine by Stockholm Kartell made for the 2023 convention season. It includes stuff for all our games; MÖRK BORG, CY_BORG, DEATH IN SPACE, SKR and some system-agnostic material. But there are also things like album reviews, essays and short stories, thoughts, ideas and takes. 100% of the benefits are to be donated to Direct Relief.”

Content: A smörgåsbord of content for Cy_Borg–some specifically for the game, some that could be used for it or others–that ranges from a location/adventure (Sprawling Car Park) to tables/generators (e.g., “Who else is in the pub when the brawl starts?”) to NPCs (emergency response teams) to medieval weapons to injuries/afflictions to short fiction about living as a corp drone. There’s a lot more than that, too.

Writing: Every page oozes the Stockholm Kartell house style(s) that makes a reader want to use all that they can in their next game.

Art/Design: Black-on-white color scheme in a printed zine format with illustrations throughout. 

Usability: Available only in print format. Table of contents at the beginning of the zine makes it easy to locate info throughout, with a consistent header/footer with page content credits and page numbering to help clarify not only where a reader is in the zine but also whose work they’re looking at.

Concept: “Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die is a rules expansion for CY_BORG giving you the chance to drive fast and wreak carnage hanging out the passenger side window (or just crash headlong into it, your mileage may vary). These rules are light-weight, but robust, and will add a ton of flavor to your chase scenes as you bolt down narrow streets in attempt to escape the piggies or track down a corpo shit-bag. Hell, you don't even need to catch 'em, just have a firefight between vehicles - we got rules for that!”

Content: An impressive cornucopia of content: rules for vehicle chases/races and driving hazards, classes for the “Got-Away Driver” and “High Speed Vigilante," stats for vehicles that are purchaseable (or not), enemies to encounter on the streets of CY, and an entire revenge-themed mission.

Writing: A focus on thematic details/voices to breathe life into included elements that are supported by succinct, direct rules and guidance for GMs to implement assorted features into a game.

Art/Design: A mix of layouts and aesthetics throughout the supplement. Some pages are laid out landscape-wise, and at least one two-page spread has text broken across its pages. Number and variety of illustrations and themes, along with their execution, are inspiring.

Usability: Body text font is pretty consistent throughout, and despite the range of page/spread layouts it’s easy to identify headings/labels and how they relate to nearby content. However, the text is not embedded, so searching/selecting and screen reader use is not possible.

Concept: “Hello Operator! The X-Ware Repository for Techno-Anarchists is a collection of random tables that offers some extra 'ware to spice up your game.”

Content: A set of ten apps, ten cybertech, and ten nano options that offer intriguing variety to GMs and players looking to expand their gear.

Writing: Brief descriptions of fascinating and creative mechanics, often with references to material found in the official rulebook.

Art/Design: Two pages dedicated to each category, and each pair of pages has a distinct color scheme, with a high-contrast color choice and set of fonts for the single column of text laid over the background image/pattern.

Usability: Headings/labels are provided as a distinct font from the main body content in each section to help readability. Background image in the ‘Apps’ section might slow down reading for some (there’s just a bit of noise working against contrast), but text is easily searchable/selectable.

Concept: “Hello Operator! This second volume of the X­Ware Repository for Techno­Anarchistsis brings more random tables of new content for your game.”

Content: A set of six weapons, six booster mods, six drugs, six gangs, and six nano-phreaks to bring even more variety and danger to a Cy_Borg table.

Writing: Bite-sized bullet points and descriptions indicate mechanical effects, flavorful qualities, and other quirks that might spur a GM or player to innovative integration of a subject into their game.

Art/Design: Single-column organization of text, with distinct layout features and color scheme for each category’s page(s), complemented by thematically appropriate illustrations and background images.

Usability: Despite a variety of headings/labels across category layouts, text throughout is easy to read thanks to high contrast on background and size/color choices to assist with recognizing characters and kinds of content.